Americans United - Ark Parkhttps://www.au.org/tags/ark-park
enSinking Ships: New Bill Would Allow A Louisiana-Based Ark Parkhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/sinking-ships-new-bill-would-allow-a-louisiana-based-ark-park
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Although the bill doesn’t specifically mention religion or faith-based ministries, it arguably creates a loophole that can be exploited by groups like Answers in Genesis (AiG). </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The Ark Park could come to Louisiana if one state representative if one lawmaker with close ties to Answers in Genesis (AiG) head Ken Ham gets his way. </p><p>State Rep. Michael Johnson (R-Bossier Parish) recently <a href="http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=937386">proposed a bill</a> that could, critics say, pave the way for religious theme parks to receive tax subsidies.</p><p>At first glance, H.B. 771 looks like an unremarkable tourism proposal; according to its official description it would establish “…an incentive program for development of new tourism infrastructure and assets in exchange for certain sales and use tax revenues.” But the devil is hiding in the details.</p><p>Louisiana-based political blogger Lamar White Jr. <a href="http://cenlamar.com/2015/05/14/louisiana-bill-could-provide-millions-in-public-incentives-for-religious-theme-parks/">notes that H.B. 771</a> would make subsidies available for all tourism developments, including theme parks and themed restaurants, proposed by non-profit organizations. Although the bill doesn’t specifically mention religion or faith-based ministries, it arguably creates a loophole that can be exploited by groups like Answers in Genesis (AiG)--which already runs the Creation Museum in Kentucky and is in the process of trying to build Ark Encounter, a theme park that will feature a replica of Noah’s Ark. </p><p>According to White, there’s a very good reason Johnson is concerned with this issue: He is also Ham's attorney.<br /><br />“It’s an outrageous proposal, and what’s even more outrageous, the legislator behind the effort is suing the State of Kentucky for millions of dollars after it pulled the plug on new earth creationist Ken Ham’s ostentatious and delusional Noah’s Ark theme park,” he writes.</p><p>Yes, you read that correctly. Johnson doesn’t just represent the good people of Bossier Parish; he also represents AiG in its on-going lawsuit against Kentucky. That lawsuit, of course, is over the state’s decision to refuse to provide tax subsidies for the Ark Park. As we’ve noted previously, Kentucky officials had valid concerns about likely employment discrimination at the park and rightly denied Ham’s project an $18 million sales tax rebate. (Job descriptions asked applicants to sign a fundamentalist Christian statement of faith in order to be considered for positions.)</p><p>In response to losing all that potential public money, Ham cried that he’d been the victim of religious discrimination. He promptly filed suit—with Johnson’s assistance.</p><p>In statements to press, Johnson <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/03/noahs-ark-park-officials-plan-to-sue-kentucky/22816615/">called the decision</a> an “unlawful action on the part of the state” and <a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/3955514334001/kentucky-reverses-course-on-religious-themed-theme-park/?#sp=show-clips">described it</a> as a “tragic morning” for Kentucky. “You can’t treat religious groups differently than everyone else,” he told Fox &amp; Friends.</p><p>As a lawyer, Johnson almost certainly knows that isn’t true.</p><p>The law treats religious groups and organizations differently on a variety of issues. That difference typically works favorably for these groups; it means they’re entitled to certain accommodations. That includes the right to hire and fire on the basis of religion. But when a faith-based group accepts government assistance to carry out a project, it should be expected to follow the government's rules and suspend its discriminatory practices. </p><p>Johnson and AiG are actually demanding special treatment from the state. And they don’t seem particularly concerned about the rights of Kentucky taxpayers. If AiG’s lawsuit succeeds, the public will be forced to subsidize discriminatory practices that may violate their personal beliefs.</p><p>H.B. 771 exhibits a similar disregard for the people of Louisiana, and that’s probably because Johnson’s primary concern seems to be his advancement in the Religious Right. His website boasts endorsements from conservative luminaries like <a href="http://gawker.com/5937761/why-was-philandering-senator-david-vitter-tweeting-to-this-young-lady-last-night">U.S. Sen. David Vitter</a> (R-La.); Vitter <a href="http://www.mikejohnsonlouisiana.com/">called Johnson</a> “a truly effective Christian leader who's made such a positive impact through his work.”</p><p>White also noted that Johnson attempted (and failed) to start a law school at Louisiana College, a <a href="http://www.lacollege.edu/about/identity/heritage">deeply conservative Baptist school</a>. And he’s proposed H.B. 707, “The Marriage and Conscience Act.” If passed, that bill would allow business owners to violate local anti-discrimination ordinances and refuse service to LGBT people at will.</p><p>Johnson’s clearly attempting to establish himself as a new force in the Religious Right. But it’s time for him to remember that he’s sworn to uphold the Constitution, and not his fundamentalist interpretation of Christianity. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice in the Workplace</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/louisiana">louisiana</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span></div></div>Fri, 15 May 2015 17:55:46 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones11124 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/sinking-ships-new-bill-would-allow-a-louisiana-based-ark-park#commentsBoatload Of Lies: Ark Encounter Gave Ky. Officials Inflated Attendance Projectionshttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/boatload-of-lies-ark-encounter-gave-ky-officials-inflated-attendance
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Worst of all for the Ark Park, Hunden said it would yield little economic benefit. Assuming AiG stuck by its plan to build a purely religious attraction, it would generate just $4.9 million over 10 years – when you factor in that Kentucky still plans to build an $11 million road upgrade purely to benefit the Ark Park. At that rate, it would take a little over 37 years (!) just for the state to break even on its $18 million investment.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Americans United has long been skeptical that Ark Encounter, a proposed theme park in Kentucky that will feature a 510-foot replica of Noah’s Ark, could ever live up to the enormous projected attendance figures claimed by its leadership in order to secure public assistance. As it turns out, the numbers submitted by Ark Encounter were indeed <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2015/01/official-report-finds-ark-encounter-executives-inflated-attendance-projections/">wildly inflated</a>.</p><p>Ark Encounter, which is a project of the creationist ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG), had to submit attendance projections as part of its application for an $18.25 million tax rebate through the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. AiG was <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bluegrass-bonanza-ky-officials-reject-ark-park-s-request-for-18-million-tax">ultimately denied</a> that generous tax break thanks in part to a letter from Americans United informing Kentucky officials that the Ark Park, which AiG described as “evangelistic,” intended to only hire employees who would submit a “[c]reation belief statement,” as well as “[c]onfirmation of [their] agreement with the AiG Statement of Faith.”</p><p>Now, thanks to an open records request by Ed Hensley of the Kentucky Secular Society, we know that AiG was less than truthful in at least a portion of its application. Ark Encounter claimed it would have 1.2 to 2 million visitors annually. This included an estimate of over 1.6 million visitors in the park’s first year.</p><p>But the reality is nowhere near that high. Kentucky sent AiG’s application out for review, and Hunden Strategic Partners in Chicago determined that if the Ark Park remained a purely religious attraction, it would generate about 325,000 visitors its first year, rise to 425,000 in its third year and eventually fall to 275,000 by its seventh year in business. This would mean the Ark Park could create about 514 jobs, Hunden said.</p><p>Were AiG to pursue “a mainstream approach to the attraction,” Hunden estimated it could draw just under 500,000 visitors in year one, 640,000 visitors in year three, then drop off to about 400,000 by year seven. Hunden estimated 787 jobs would be created if that scenario played out.</p><p>(It’s not likely that AiG would make its project more secular. After all, it has said that the purpose of the park is to “point people to the only means of salvation from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, who also is the only God-appointed way to escape eternal destruction.”)</p><p>So why such wildly different estimates, you may ask? Hunden said AiG’s projection applied to its original proposal from 2010, when it sought a $172 million project that would have been “a multi-day attraction.” Instead, the scaled-down $73 million proposal from 2014 is pretty much just the ark along with a petting zoo, theater, two dining facilities and a retail store.</p><p>But that isn’t the whole story. Hunden also noted that AiG’s estimate was provided by the South Carolina-based America’s Research Group, which has ties to AiG head Ken Ham.</p><p>“The president of America’s Research Group is Britt Beemer, who is also a co-author with Ken Ham on the book <em>Already Gone</em>,” Hunden said in its report. “Furthermore, research by Beemer and America’s Research Group is featured in <em>Already Compromised</em>, another book authored by Ken Ham.”</p><p>Worst of all for the Ark Park, Hunden said it would yield little economic benefit. Assuming AiG stuck by its plan to build a purely religious attraction, it would generate just $4.9 million over 10 years – when you factor in that Kentucky still plans to build an $11 million road upgrade purely to benefit the Ark Park. At that rate, it would take a little over 37 years (!) just for the state to break even on its $18 million investment. </p><p>Ever-delusional, Ham stuck by AiG’s original numbers and claimed the Ark Park will be just great because it appeals to a wide range of people – even though it would only offer an evangelical Christian perspective. </p><p>“That’s pretty good research,” <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2015/01/21/ark-park-attendance-projections-reduced-report-finds/22104537/">Ham told</a> the Louisville <em>Courier-Journal</em>. “And the ark has a much wider appeal (than the Creation Museum.). If we can get 400,000 for the Creation Museum, you know that ark is going to get a lot more than that.”</p><p>The problem for Ham is that AiG’s other big project, the Creation Museum, <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/april-2014-church-state/people-events/ky-ark-park-will-launch-again-creationist-leader">isn’t drawing so well</a>. The number of people who visit the museum each year has declined since it opened, peaking at 404,000 in 2007 and falling to 254,074 for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2012. In fact, AiG decided in 2013 to install <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/zip-line-evangelism-creation-museum-opens-non-religious-exhibits-to-expand">zip lines</a> at the Creation Museum in an attempt to reach a wider audience. (The last time I checked, there were no zip lines in the Bible.)</p><p>Americans United has said all along that Kentucky should have no official involvement with Ark Encounter, and every bit of new evidence that comes out only bolsters our case. Ham’s ship has been floating on a sea of falsehoods, and it may soon slip beneath the waves.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky-tourism-cabinet">Kentucky Tourism Cabinet</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/hunden-strategic-partners">Hunden Strategic Partners</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/americas-research-group">America&#039;s Research Group</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/britt-breemer">Britt Breemer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/creation-museum">Creation Museum</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/kentucky">Kentucky</a></span></div></div>Thu, 22 Jan 2015 19:02:47 +0000Simon Brown10825 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/boatload-of-lies-ark-encounter-gave-ky-officials-inflated-attendance#commentsBluegrass Bonanza: Ky. Officials Reject ‘Ark Park’s’ Request For $18 Million Tax Rebatehttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bluegrass-bonanza-ky-officials-reject-ark-park-s-request-for-18-million-tax
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The timing on this could not easily be better. AiG has been on the defensive thanks to AU’s complaints, and it said earlier this week that it would run 16 billboards throughout the state promoting Ark Encounter and attacking “intolerant” groups like AU. AiG also said it bought a 15-second digital video display that will run in New York City’s Times Square.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>It’s a Christmas miracle! <a href="https://au.org/church-state/october-2014-church-state/featured/rough-sailing">After years of complaints</a> by Americans United about Kentucky’s ongoing taxpayer assistance for a Christian fundamentalist theme park, state officials finally said they <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/10/ky-wont-grant-noahs-ark-park-tax-incentives/20220905/">will not offer the project generous tax subsidies</a>.</p><p>Answers in Genesis (AiG), a creationist Christian ministry, had applied for a 25 percent sales tax rebate through the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet for Ark Encounter, a theme park that will feature a 510-foot replica of Noah’s Ark. The application received preliminary approval, and since the project is expected to cost $73 million, final approval would have cost the state up to $18 million in sales tax revenue.</p><p>But the Ark Park sailed into stormy seas in August when Americans United <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/stormy-seas-discriminatory-hiring-practices-at-ky-ark-park-put-its-tax">informed the tourism cabinet</a> that AiG had posted online an opening for a computer-assisted design technician to work at Ark Encounter. That job post has since been removed, but in the August description, AiG said applicants must submit a “[c]reation belief statement,” as well as “[c]onfirmation of [their] agreement with the AiG Statement of Faith.”</p><p>That “statement of faith” required potential AiG employees to affirm their belief that homosexuality is a sin on par with bestiality and incest, that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that the Bible is literally true. Anyone who doesn’t agree with those statements won’t be considered for the job.</p><p>Apparently that was a deal breaker for the tax rebate. Bob Stewart, secretary of the tourism cabinet, <a href="/files/KY_Ark_Encounter-12-10-14.pdf">said yesterday in a letter</a> to AiG that he doesn’t believe the ministry is willing to hire non-believers for Ark Encounter, and that would cause serious constitutional concerns.</p><p>Stewart also noted that the project is clearly evangelistic in nature – something Americans United had pointed out repeatedly.</p><p>“[I]t is readily apparent that the project has evolved from a tourism project to an extension of AIG’s ministry that will no longer permit the Commonwealth to grant the project tourism development incentives,” Stewart wrote. “The use of state incentives in this way violates the Separation of Church and State provisions of the Constitution and is therefore impermissible.”<br /><br />Of course, Ark Encounter did not “evolve” (yes, the irony here is wonderful). According to the project’s own website, “The purpose of the Ark Encounter is to point people to the only means of salvation from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, who also is the only God-appointed way to escape eternal destruction.”</p><p>That’s one thing AiG has always been honest about: the Ark Park is an evangelistic enterprise.</p><p>The timing on this could not easily be better. AiG has been on the defensive thanks to AU’s complaints, and it said earlier this week that it would run <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/12/08/answers-genesis-said-will-run-billboards-counter-myths-proposed-ark-theme-park/20105843/">16 billboards throughout the state</a> promoting Ark Encounter and attacking “intolerant” groups like AU. AiG also said it bought a 15-second digital video display that will run in New York City’s Times Square.</p><p>Unfortunately, this story is not over. The overtly religious Ark Park has already received significant assistance from state and local lawmakers, including a 75 percent property tax break over 30 years from the City of Williamstown (a town of about 3,200 near where the park will be located); an $11 million road upgrade in a rural area that would almost exclusively facilitate traffic going to and from the park; a $200,000 gift from the Grant County Industrial Development Authority to make sure the project stays in that county; 100 acres of reduced-price land and, finally, a $62 million municipal bond issue from Williamstown that has kept this project afloat.</p><p>There’s also the possibility of a lawsuit over the tax rebate. Various media reports said yesterday that AiG is considering its options. Previously, an AiG official claimed audaciously that his organization actually <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/constitutional-confusion-ky-ark-park-claims-first-amendment-right-to">has a First Amendment right</a> to tax credits even though it is a religious enterprise.</p><p>Whether or not this $18 million loss is enough to pull the plug on the Ark Park remains unclear. But the ongoing controversy surrounding Kentucky’s taxpayer-funded assistance for the park has become something of an embarrassment for Gov. Steve Beshear. He touted the park’s economic benefits <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/ark-park-earmark-kentucky-governor-floats-religion-funding-scheme">as far back as 2010</a>, but various delays have pushed back the park’s estimated opening. Last we heard, AiG head Ken Ham said Ark Encounter would open in the spring of 2016.</p><p>For his part, Beshear supported the tourism cabinet’s decision not to award a massive tax rebate to the Ark Park.</p><p><strong>“</strong>[I]t has become apparent that they do intend to use religious beliefs as a litmus test for hiring decisions,” the governor said in a statement.</p><p>Perhaps Beshear changed his tune because the Ark Park will never be what he had hoped for in terms of job creation. Lawmakers originally believed the theme park could yield as many as 900 jobs, but it has been reported that AiG plans to hire just 265 employees, 218 of which will be part time. </p><p>Kentucky officials may have finally realized that Ark Encounter just isn’t worth all this trouble. Between years of delays, legal problems and a lack of quality jobs, Kentucky would get minimal return on its investment. Of course Americans United has been saying all this for years. It’s good to see state officials finally listened. </p><p>P.S. Here’s a shout-out to blogger Dan Arel, whose excellent work <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/">digging into the byzantine</a> (and often shifting) employment policies of Ark Encounter was a great help to Americans United.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice in the Workplace</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/steve-beshear">Steve Beshear</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky-tourism">Kentucky Tourism</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/arts-and-heritage-cabinet">Arts and Heritage Cabinet</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bob-stewart">Bob Stewart</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/times-square">Times Square</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/kentucky">Kentucky</a></span></div></div>Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:54:37 +0000Simon Brown10744 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bluegrass-bonanza-ky-officials-reject-ark-park-s-request-for-18-million-tax#commentsAmericans United Welcomes Ky. Officials’ Decision Not To Award Public Funding To ‘Ark Park’https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-welcomes-ky-officials-decision-not-to-award-public-funding-to
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A proposed theme park based on the story of Noah’s Ark will not receive tax incentives from the state of Kentucky, officials announced today.<br /><br />Americans United for Separation of Church and State hailed the move.<br /><br />“This project was never a good candidate for public funding,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Its purpose is to promote fundamentalist Christianity, and it should be funded with private contributions from believers.”<br /><br />Ark Encounter is a project of Answers in Genesis (AIG), a fundamentalist Christian organization that promotes creationism and biblical literalism. The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet had granted preliminary approval for the park to receive tax incentives, but today the cabinet informed AIG that it does not qualify for state aid.<br /><br />In a letter to AIG, cabinet Secretary Bob Stewart wrote, “[I]t is readily apparent that the project has evolved from a tourism project to an extension of AIG’s ministry that will no longer permit the Commonwealth to grant the project tourism development incentives.”<br /><br />In addition, Stewart added that the park can’t receive the aid because it intends to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring staff.<br /><br />Wrote Stewart, “The use of state incentives in this way violates the Separation of Church and State provisions of the Constitution and is therefore impermissible.”<br /><br />According to the project’s own website, “The purpose of the Ark Encounter is to point people to the only means of salvation from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, who also is the only God-appointed way to escape eternal destruction.” <br /><br />Over the past few years, Americans United has repeatedly urged Kentucky officials not to award tax aid to this clearly sectarian project.<br /><br />“Kentucky officials did the right thing to comply with the state constitution,” said AU Associate Legal Director Alex J. Luchenitser. “The ‘Ark Park’ project should never have relied on public aid to stay afloat.” </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/constructing-and-refurbishing-buildings-used-religious-activities">Constructing and Refurbishing Buildings Used for Religious Activities</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park-0">&#039;Ark Park&#039;</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span></div></div><h3 >Church-State Watchdog Group Says Project Is Evangelistic In&nbsp;Nature</h3>Wed, 10 Dec 2014 23:03:31 +0000Timothy Ritz10742 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/media/press-releases/americans-united-welcomes-ky-officials-decision-not-to-award-public-funding-to#commentsConstitutional Confusion: Ky. ‘Ark Park’ Claims First Amendment Right To Taxpayer Assistance https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/constitutional-confusion-ky-ark-park-claims-first-amendment-right-to
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Certainly no religious theme park should be given any assistance from taxpayers, and the idea that the ministry running the Ark Park can’t practice its faith if it doesn’t get an $18 million tax break is laughable.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Thanks to a complaint from Americans United, a proposed theme park run by a fundamentalist Christian ministry is in danger of losing tax incentives preliminarily approved by misguided Kentucky officials. Now, with so much at stake, that ministry is going on the offensive – claiming it has a “religious liberty” right to taxpayer subsidies!</p><p>As we <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/stormy-seas-discriminatory-hiring-practices-at-ky-ark-park-put-its-tax">detailed earlier this week</a>, Ark Encounter, a proposed theme park featuring a 510-foot replica of Noah’s Ark, is in danger of losing $18 million in tax incentives thanks to discriminatory hiring practices by Answers in Genesis (AiG), the Ark Park’s parent organization.</p><p>To recap: In August, AU <a href="https://au.org/files/pdf_documents/2014-08-22%20Frankfort%252c%20KY%20-%20Ark%20Park%20Religious%20Discrimination.pdf">informed</a> the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority and Gov. Steve Beshear (D) that AiG had posted online an opening for a computer-assisted design technician to work at Ark Encounter. That job post has since been removed, but in the August description, AiG said applicants must submit a “[c]reation belief statement,” as well as “[c]onfirmation of [their] agreement with the AiG Statement of Faith.”</p><p>That “statement of faith” required potential AiG employees to affirm their belief that homosexuality is a sin on par with bestiality and incest, that the earth is only 6,000 years old and that the Bible is literally true. Anyone who doesn’t agree with those statements won’t be considered for the job.</p><p>As a result, Bob Stewart, secretary of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, told AiG that the Ark Park’s hiring practices are a major problem and the $18 million deal is dead without a promise from Ark Encounter ensuring fair hiring will take place.</p><p>AiG is <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/08/us-usa-religion-ark-idUSKCN0HX2JY20141008?feedType=RSS&amp;feedName=domesticNews">none too pleased about this development</a>. But given that a project even AiG admits is “evangelistic” should not be eligible for any sort of taxpayer assistance anyway, AiG doesn’t exactly have a legally sound argument for why it should receive a generous tax break from the state. So AiG is trying a desperate tactic – the ministry claims it has a First Amendment right to a tax break.</p><p>You read that right. These guys believe they have a <em>constitutional right</em> to public support. Mike Zovath, co-founder of AiG and head of Ark Encounter, told Reuters as much, apparently believing his organization can accept a tax incentive package from the state then use that money to discriminate on the basis of religion.</p><p>“We’re hoping the state takes a hard look at their position, and changes their position so it doesn’t go further than this,” Zovath said. Reuters reported that Zovath believes that the state’s refusal to fork over the money would violate the organization’s First Amendment and state constitutional rights.</p><p>The Ark Park maintains this is all something of a misunderstanding anyway – even though it isn’t. The job posting that prompted AU’s complaint – for a computer-assisted design technician – was for work at AiG rather than Ark Encounter, claims Ark Encounter. But that clearly isn’t true. The original job, which has since been removed from AiG’s website, was listed in August under the heading “Answers in Genesis, Careers at Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum - CAD Technician Designer, Ark Encounter.” </p><p>In a post-<em>Hobby Lobby</em> world, one has to wonder if there are any limits to religious freedom claims under the U.S. Constitution – at least as far as the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority is concerned. But even in the wake of that ruling, it seems pretty hard to imagine any court deciding that an American business has a constitutional right to a taxpayer-funded handout.</p><p>Certainly no religious theme park should be given any assistance from taxpayers, and the idea that the ministry running the Ark Park can’t practice its faith if it doesn’t get an $18 million tax break is laughable.</p><p>This is just another example of the Religious Right wanting taxpayer money without any strings. Well, here’s some news for AiG and everyone like them: It doesn’t work that way. The Ark Park should not receive any taxpayer assistance to begin with, but if it does get some, it at least must play by the rules. That means it can’t discriminate when it hires employees.</p><p>If AiG has a problem with that policy, it doesn’t have to take Kentucky’s $18 million and it can build the ark itself. Really, that should have been the case all along. </p><p>P.S. The Wall of Separation blog will be on hiatus Monday, Oct. 13 in observance of a federal holiday.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice in the Workplace</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/mike-zovath">Mike Zovath</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span></div></div>Fri, 10 Oct 2014 16:32:15 +0000Simon Brown10586 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/constitutional-confusion-ky-ark-park-claims-first-amendment-right-to#commentsRocking The Boat: Fundamentalist Ministry Head Responds To AU’s ‘Ark Park’ Criticisms https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rocking-the-boat-fundamentalist-ministry-head-responds-to-au-s-ark-park
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Americans United doesn’t care if Ken Ham wants to build replicas of Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel or even the Garden of Eden – just so long as he does it without help from taxpayers. We don’t have a problem with AiG’s Christian message – we have a problem with a Christian message that gets government backing. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>For years, Americans United has been critical of attempts by local and state lawmakers in Kentucky to provide financial assistance to Ark Encounter, a proposed theme park that would feature a 510-foot replica of Noah’s Ark. Now Ken Ham, head of the fundamentalist ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG), which is spearheading the project, finally <a href="https://answersingenesis.org/ministry-news/ark-encounter/challenge-americans-united-to-tell-truth/?utm_source=khsocial08052014twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=twitter">responded to AU’s criticisms</a>.</p><p>Ham did not disappoint, unless you were expecting honesty.</p><p>In a lengthy blog post for AiG’s website, Ham denied that the Ark Park, which he described as “evangelistic,” is receiving any assistance from taxpayers. His defense was vintage Ham: He has a habit of <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/answers-in-genesis-blames-spiritual-battle-for-theme-parks-financial-woes-112134/">dismissing his critics</a> as dishonest atheists who hate religion.</p><p>So naturally he opened with a general attack on Americans United, describing us as a group that “has launched various lawsuits in its ongoing war on Christianity in America.” That could not be farther from the truth. AU is not out to attack Christianity or any other group. We are instead out to protect people of all faiths and philosophies from those who would seek to use the power of government to force their beliefs onto others. If that were not true, would we be led by the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ? Not likely.</p><p>Ham then moved on in an attempted refute of some of AU’s many criticisms of his pet project, which is now <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/leaky-boat-kentucky-officials-labor-to-keep-struggling-ark-park-from">many years behind schedule</a>. (Ham originally said ground would be broken on Ark Encounter in the spring of 2011, yet it appears no progress has been made to date beyond a ceremonial groundbreaking in May.)</p><p>First Ham took on AU Director of Communications Rob Boston, who <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/good-incentives-gone-awry-kentucky-officials-are-adamant-about-propping-up">wrote earlier this week</a> that “the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Board <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/07/31/336875461/kentucky-buoys-noahs-ark-park-with-millions-in-new-tax-breaks">voted unanimously last week</a> to approve a package of tax breaks for the park, which is formally known as the Ark Encounter. The incentives total $18 million.”</p><p>Ham denied that this tax incentive program is equivalent to taxpayer funding for the park.</p><p>“[T]he only people involved in this incentive/refund are visitors to the Ark who pay sales tax when they come to the Ark,” Ham wrote. “That is, <em>after</em> it is open – i.e., sales tax collected from people who <em>choose</em> to visit the Ark (the majority of whom will be from outside Kentucky). No unwilling taxpayer is helping to construct the Ark Encounter.”</p><p>That is not quite right. While it is true that Ark Encounter won’t see a dime of that $18 million tax credit until the park opens and draws visitors, Kentucky is still forfeiting millions of dollars in tax revenues that it would have otherwise kept. Sure, that $18 million won’t come directly out of Kentucky’s coffers, but the state is still effectively spending a large chunk of change to repay the builders of Ark Encounter for a portion of their construction costs. That money could have been spent on projects to benefit taxpayers – instead it’s benefiting Ham.</p><p>Next, Ham criticized some of the things <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/sinking-ship-creationist-ministry-continues-to-over-promise-on-ky-ark-park">I have written</a> about Ark Encounter. He said my statement that the Ark Park is eligible for “an astounding $100 million (or more) in various types of public support” is a “ridiculously inaccurate charge.”</p><p>Yet Ham does not bother to explain why it’s “inaccurate,” so let me explain why it actually is accurate. Originally, when Ark Encounter was a more ambitious project, Kentucky offered AiG a tax incentive package in the neighborhood of $40 million (it has since been scaled back to $18 million because AiG submitted a less ambitious plan). The bulk of the remaining support comes from $62 million worth of municipal bonds offered by the City of Williamstown, where the Ark Park is to be built.</p><p>Ham claimed that: “While the city did issue the bonds on our behalf through an underwriter, the Ark Encounter is totally obligated for the bonds (no government entity is obligated).”</p><p>According to <em>Bloomberg Businessweek</em>, which analyzed the disclosure documents related to this bond offering, <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-11-14/noah-s-ark-depends-on-faith-in-default-plagued-debt-muni-credit">AiG is not backing any of the debt</a>.</p><p>“Bondholders’ sole revenue stream comes from money spent at Ark Encounter,” <em>Bloomberg </em>reported. “The park ‘may never achieve positive cash flow,’ which documents say would lead to default.”</p><p>Americans United also obtained the <a href="http://highyieldmunicipals.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/williamstown-ky-ark-encounter-pos.pdf">bond disclosure documents</a>. In them, Williamstown said the bonds “will be loaned by the Issuer (the city) to Crosswater Canyon, Inc., a Kentucky nonprofit corporation (“Crosswater Canyon”) and Ark Encounter, LLC, a Missouri limited liability company…”</p><p>Even if this offering is not considered a traditional loan, at a minimum the city is supporting Ark Encounter by issuing the bonds for fundraising purposes – AiG certainly could not have done this without government help.</p><p>AiG said on its website that the bond offering actually yielded $73 million, but Ham did not make that claim in his most recent blog post. In fact, he didn’t offer any details about the bonds except to say he can’t comment and they are complicated. In late February, however, the Louisville <em>Courier-Journal</em> asked Williamstown how much money the bond issue raised. The city wouldn’t say, leaving many to wonder just how much money AiG actually has on hand. </p><p>But that isn’t all. The City of Williamstown has also promised a 75 percent property tax break for Ark Encounter, and Kentucky approved a $9 million <a href="http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2014/04/15/road-budget/7733147/">road construction project</a> in a rural area that just happens to be where the Ark Park is supposed to be built (that project has since been delayed). The Grant County Industrial Development Authority also gave Ark Encounter almost 100 acres of discounted land and almost $200,000 in incentives to <a href="http://www.kentucky.com/2013/11/27/2957538/city-seeks-to-jump-start-stalled.html">keep the project in that area</a>, according to the Lexington <em>Herald-Leader</em>.</p><p>Finally, Ham attacked my colleague Sarah Jones, <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/zip-line-evangelism-creation-museum-opens-non-religious-exhibits-to-expand">who wrote last year</a> that “Ham is entitled to evangelize however he wants, but he’s not entitled to tax breaks to help fund his fundamentalist roadside attraction.”</p><p>Ham responded not by attacking that argument but by criticizing Jones, claiming she “has a clear agenda: attack the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter because they teach a Christian message.”</p><p>In truth, Americans United doesn’t care if Ham wants to build replicas of Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel or even the Garden of Eden – just so long as he does it without help from taxpayers. We don’t have a problem with AiG’s Christian message – we have a problem with a Christian message that gets government backing. </p><p>Ham said that the Ark Park is getting absolutely no money from taxpayers, but it’s clear that isn’t true. So as long as Kentucky lawmakers continue to back the ark, we’ll be here to fight it.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/city-of-williamstown">City of Williamstown</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/noahs-ark">Noah&#039;s Ark</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/kentucky">Kentucky</a></span></div></div>Wed, 06 Aug 2014 19:03:08 +0000Simon Brown10352 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rocking-the-boat-fundamentalist-ministry-head-responds-to-au-s-ark-park#commentsGood Incentives Gone Awry: Kentucky Officials Are Adamant About Propping Up The ‘Ark Park’ https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/good-incentives-gone-awry-kentucky-officials-are-adamant-about-propping-up
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ken Ham and his pals have every right to build and operate the Ark Park on their own time with their own dime. But that’s not what they’re doing. From the beginning of this enterprise, they have sought to tap the taxpayers’ wallets for their fundamentalist theme park.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>I’ve lived in the Washington, D.C., suburbs since 1986, so when it comes to museums, I am spoiled. Just a short subway ride away is the National Mall, lined with the Smithsonian museums. They are an incredible national treasure.</p><p>When I’m traveling, I try to take some time to visit local museums as well. When my children were younger, we never missed a science museum. Several cities have them now. Not only are science museums a great educational resource, they can also be a significant income generator for communities.</p><p>I understand the pull of museums. What I don’t understand is why officials in some parts of the country can’t seem to differentiate between a professional science museum and a tawdry tourist trap run by fundamentalist zealots.</p><p>Consider the case of the “Ark Park” in Kentucky. An outgrowth of the Creation Museum, the Ark Park – an attraction that will supposedly feature a replica of Noah’s Ark (more accurately, a replica of what some fundamentalist believes Noah’s Ark looked like) – has been mired in controversy for years.</p><p>The attraction is clearly designed to promote fundamentalist views of the Bible, views that stand in sharp contrast to modern science. The man behind the park, Australian creationist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis, seems to have, at best, shaky funding for the enterprise.</p><p>Yet despite all of this, Kentucky officials are rushing to pledge taxpayer support for the park. Most recently, the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Board <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/07/31/336875461/kentucky-buoys-noahs-ark-park-with-millions-in-new-tax-breaks">voted unanimously last week</a> to approve a package of tax breaks for the park, which is formally known as the Ark Encounter. The incentives total $18 million.</p><p>The park is supposed to be built in Williamstown, a small city with a population of about 3,200. Williamstown and surrounding Grant County are facing tough economic times, so it’s understandable that state officials want to help out the folks there. But surely they can do better than this. Even if the park comes to pass, it’s most likely going to offer seasonal, part-time and low-wage jobs.</p><p>Notice I said “if the park comes to pass.” It’s a big if. Ham has pushed back the ground-breaking for the park several times, and the project is mired in an <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/creationist-ark-park-in-ky-sailing-into">ongoing controversy over funding</a>.</p><p>There’s a legitimate question of whether Ham and his gang can even pull off this attraction. Attendance at Ham’s Creation Museum <a href="http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-26546-creation_museum_atte.html">has been in decline</a>, leading some people to speculate that the audience for these types of fundamentalist-tinged tourist sites may be limited.</p><p>A real science museum is able to offer new exhibits and attractions because actual scientists are always making new discoveries and adding to our understanding of human evolution and the development of the universe. At the Creation Museum, there’s no room for new research because the Bible is treated as the final word. Thus, displays tend to be static.</p><p>Just to be clear: Ham and his pals have every right to build and operate the Ark Park on their own time with their own dime. But that’s not what they’re doing. From the beginning of this enterprise, they have sought to tap the taxpayers’ wallets for their fundamentalist theme park. That’s not right. The goal of the Ark Encounter is to persuade people that Ham’s view of Christianity is true and that they ought to adopt it. The government has no business helping Ham proselytize.</p><p>Attorneys at Americans United are examining the Kentucky Constitution and the laws of the state to determine if the type of aid being extended to the Ark Park is legal. In the meantime, the state legislature has the power to deny the aid package.</p><p>Kentucky’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Greg Stumbo (D-Prestonsburg) has already <a href="http://www.kentucky.com/2014/07/30/3358423/stumbo-state-tax-incentives-for.html">expressed skepticism</a> about the plan. Stumbo called the aid package problematic “because it erects a monument with the help of state money theoretically that is recognized by a majority religion in this country.”</p><p>Here’s hoping more lawmakers agree. And let’s also hope they come to realize that propping up attractions like this only serves to embarrass the commonwealth. It’s also detrimental to Kentucky’s bottom line. Companies based in high-tech and science have good jobs to offer. Will they come to Kentucky if that state has a reputation for promoting anti-science views?</p><p>Kentucky officials should find a real engine for economic growth in Grant County – one that is anchored in actual science would be best. </p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/creation-museum">Creation Museum</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kentucky">kentucky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/greg-stumbo">Greg Stumbo</a></span></div></div>Mon, 04 Aug 2014 15:14:07 +0000Rob Boston10348 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/good-incentives-gone-awry-kentucky-officials-are-adamant-about-propping-up#commentsCreationist ‘Ark Park’ In Ky. Sailing Into Rough Waters Over Funding https://www.au.org/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/creationist-ark-park-in-ky-sailing-into
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Efforts by creationists to build a giant replica of Noah’s Ark in Kentucky appear to have stalled as the project faces mounting financial setbacks and an ever-changing timeline for its completion. </p><p>Louisville’s <em>LEO Weekly</em> reported in May that the large tax incentive package promised to the Ark Encounter park in May 2011 by Kentucky’s Tourism Cabinet came with a catch: an expiration date. The agreement says that Answers in Genesis (AiG), the creationist ministry overseeing the project, can receive a 25 percent tax rebate on the cost of construction once the park opens, provided construction got under way by May 2014. The discount would be capped at $43 million.</p><p>Gil Lawson, a spokesman for the Tourism Cabinet, told <em>LEO Weekly</em> that Ark Encounter quietly withdrew its old application for a $172 million project on March 28 and instead submitted a $73 million proposal. If that application is approved, and if the park is built within the allotted timeframe, that would mean AiG is eligible for $18.25 million in tax incentives, <em>LEO Weekly</em> said.</p><p>But the shrinking tax package doesn’t appear to be AiG’s only problem. In April, the <em>Cincinnati Enquirer</em> reported that the local road improvements needed to handle all the traffic that will supposedly flow to Ark Encounter has been pushed back to 2017.</p><p>There is also some mystery surrounding the $62 million in municipal bonds that supposedly rescued the Ark Park. The Louisville<em> Courier-Journal</em> reported in January that while $26.5 million in bonds had been sold, the city needed to sell an additional $29 million by Feb. 6 or else those who already bought bonds would be able to collect on their investment immediately.</p><p>Officials at the city of Williams­town, where the attraction is to be located, would not say exactly how much money was raised, the <em>Courier-Journal</em> reported in late February. AiG’s website claims the bonds yielded $73 million and says it raised $15 million on its own.</p><p>Despite these setbacks, including at least four delays in the groundbreaking for the Ark Park, AiG presses on. In February, AiG head Ken Ham said groundbreaking would begin in May. On May 1, AiG hosted a “groundbreaking ceremony” at the site where the park is supposed to be built, but the “groundbreaking” consisted of a handful of men in suits using mallets to hammer wooden pegs into planks. The event took place inside an auditorium and involved no shovels or dirt.</p><p>At press time it remained unclear whether construction had actually started on Ark Encounter. AiG’s website said in early June that its “construction management team” is still soliciting bids from contractors.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10202" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">July/August</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2014</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span></div></div>Tue, 01 Jul 2014 15:51:22 +0000Timothy Ritz10227 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/creationist-ark-park-in-ky-sailing-into#commentsSinking Ship?: Creationist Ministry Continues To Over-Promise On Ky. ‘Ark Park’https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/sinking-ship-creationist-ministry-continues-to-over-promise-on-ky-ark-park
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Misguided Kentucky lawmakers promised Ham piles of cash starting in 2010 because they believed Ark Encounter would eventually bring in tourists and create jobs. It’s been almost four years, and AiG hasn’t generated a single dollar or job for Kentucky. Ken Ham will surely keep his con going for as long as he can, but Kentucky has no reason to stick with this sinking ship.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>P.T. Barnum, founder of the Barnum &amp; Bailey Circus, promoted <a href="http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/display/category/p.t._barnum">a number of hoaxes</a> in his day. He <a href="http://blogs.loc.gov/law/2011/08/the-hoax-is-on-you-a-short-question-about-a-tall-tale/">probably never said</a> “there’s a sucker born every minute,” but it seems he embraced that idea throughout his career. Now, it appears Barnum has an ideological descendant in Ken Ham, head of a creationist ministry that is trying to build a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark in Kentucky.</p><p>If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, you know all about Ham and his Answers in Genesis (AiG), which already runs the embarrassing Creation Museum in Kentucky (where kids are taught that humans once co-existed with dinosaurs). For years, Ham has been <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/noahs-ark-theme-park_n_3367579.html">trying to open a second theme park</a> in the Blue Grass State called Ark Encounter, complete with a 510-foot replica of the famous biblical boat.</p><p>The main problem with Ham’s overtly religious pet project is it seems to be <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/has-the-ark-park-run-aground-ky-biblical-theme-park-has-only-weeks-to-raise">a magnet for taxpayer dollars</a>. First, Kentucky officials committed more than $40 million in tax incentives to the Ark Park. Sadly that was just the beginning. Later, the Kentucky legislature planned to spend $2 million on a road project in a rural area, seemingly for the sole benefit of the proposed Ark Park.</p><p>But even those generous incentives weren’t enough for misguided lawmakers. The city of Williamstown, which had already granted a 75 percent property tax break for the park, decided last year that it would sell $62 million in municipal bonds on behalf of AiG affiliates.</p><p>All told, various government entities in Kentucky have planned to give the Ark Park, which was originally supposed to cost about $175 million, an astounding $100 million (or more) in <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/leaky-boat-kentucky-officials-labor-to-keep-struggling-ark-park-from">various types of public support</a>. Recent reports, however, cast serious doubt on just how much of that money, if any, will reach the project.</p><p>It seems Ham’s ever-changing timeline has finally caught up with him. He said in January 2011 that work would begin on the Ark Park that spring; then in May of that year, AiG said groundbreaking would be over the summer; in June, AiG said construction would begin in August; and by early August 2011, AiG still had not broken ground but promised that it would happen “in the next few months.”</p><p>Then in late August 2011, AiG bumped the timetable way back, saying groundbreaking would begin in the spring of 2012. That did not happen, either.</p><p>Louisville’s <em>LEO Weekly</em> <a href="http://fatlip.leoweekly.com/2014/05/30/ken-hams-dinosaur-boat-isnt-receiving-43-million-in-tax-incentives-from-kentucky-and-might-not-receive-any/">reported last week</a> that the large tax incentive package promised to the Ark Park back in May 2011 by Kentucky’s Tourism Cabinet came with one little catch: an expiration date. The agreement says that AiG can receive a 25 percent tax rebate on the cost of construction once the park opens, provided construction began by May 2014. The discount would be capped at $43 million.</p><p>Gil Lawson, a spokesman for the Tourism Cabinet, told <em>LEO Weekly</em> that Ark Encounter quietly withdrew its old application for a $172 million project on March 28 and instead submitted a $73 million proposal. If that application is approved, and if it is built within the allotted timeframe, that would mean AiG is eligible for $18.25 million in tax incentives, <em>LEO Weekly</em> said.</p><p>But the shrinking tax package doesn’t appear to be Ham’s only problem. In April, the <em>Cincinnati Enquirer</em> reported that the local road improvements needed to handle all the traffic that will supposedly rush to Ark Encounter (if it ever opens) <a href="http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2014/04/15/road-budget/7733147/">will be pushed back to 2017</a>. That’s a bit of a problem for Ham, who last claimed that the park would open in the summer of 2016. Perhaps he wants park visitors to have an authentic Bible experience by walking or riding camels to see the ark. </p><p>There is also some mystery surrounding the <a href="http://wfae.org/post/funding-could-dry-kentuckys-noahs-ark-theme-park">$62 million in municipal bonds</a> that supposedly rescued Ham’s project. The Louisville<em> Courier-Journal</em> reported in January that while $26.5 million in bonds had been sold, the city needed to sell an additional $29 million by Feb. 6 or else those who already bought bonds would be able to collect on their investment immediately.</p><p>The city would not say exactly how much money was raised, the <em>Courier-Journal</em> reported in late February, but AiG’s website claims the bonds actually yielded $73 million. AiG also claims it has raised $15 million on its own.</p><p>Despite these setbacks, Ham presses on. His latest ploy appears to be keeping up the hoax that the Ark Park is under construction. In February, he <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/ark-park-back-afloat-creationist-groups-says-ground-will-be-broken-on">said groundbreaking would begin</a> in May. On May 1, AiG hosted a “groundbreaking ceremony” at the site where the park is supposed to be built, but the “groundbreaking” consisted of a handful of men in suits using wooden mallets to hammer wooden pegs into wooden boards. This all took place inside an auditorium, which doesn’t look much like a theme park. (You can watch this <a href="http://thegenesisfoundation-wi.org/ark-encounter-ground-breaking/">exciting video here</a>, but be warned – it’s over 40 minutes long.)</p><p>It is now June, and it remains unclear whether or not construction has actually started on Ark Encounter. AiG’s website says its “construction management team” is <a href="https://arkencounter.com/contractors/">still soliciting bids from contractors</a>, suggesting that no real progress will be made anytime soon.</p><p>Misguided Kentucky lawmakers promised Ham piles of cash starting in 2010 because they believed Ark Encounter would eventually bring in tourists and create jobs. It’s been almost four years, and AiG hasn’t generated a single dollar or job for Kentucky. Ham will surely keep his con going for as long as he can, but Kentucky has no reason to stick with this sinking ship.</p><p>In February Ham proclaimed, “Let’s build the ark.” Let him build it if he can, but with money AiG raises on its own. It’s long past time for Kentucky to pull the plug on this boat to nowhere, and we hope it finally will. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pt-barnum">PT Barnum</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/creation-museum">Creation Museum</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/kentucky">Kentucky</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Jun 2014 18:14:26 +0000Simon Brown10115 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/sinking-ship-creationist-ministry-continues-to-over-promise-on-ky-ark-park#comments‘Ark Park’ Back Afloat?: Creationist Groups Says Ground Will Be Broken On Biblical Theme Park In Mayhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/ark-park-back-afloat-creationist-groups-says-ground-will-be-broken-on
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">So what makes Ham think the “Ark Park” construction can begin in May? We’re not sure, because the math surrounding the project remains fuzzy at best.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>It seems reports of the demise of Kentucky’s infamous “Ark Park” have been greatly exaggerated – or at least that’s what the project’s head <a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/ark/ark-bond-offering-succeeds">would like us to believe</a>.</p><p>Americans United has followed the saga of Ark Encounter, which is the brainchild of the creationist ministry Answers in Geneses (AiG), for several years. We took an interest because AiG has sought financial help from both the state of Kentucky and the town where the park is supposed to be built – even though it is a fundamentalist outfit that seeks to promote creationism and debunk evolution.</p><p>Ark Encounter, which is supposed to feature a 510-foot replica of Noah’s Ark, has been an unmitigated disaster from the start. Yet misguided Kentucky lawmakers keep making efforts to plug the leaky project’s holes.</p><p>Now, after years of delays, AiG President Ken Ham <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/27/ark-encounter-theme-park/5881323/">said ground will be broken on the park in May</a>. And this time, he says he really means it.</p><p>“We’re going to begin construction, and this is going to be great for the area,” Ham said in an online announcement. “Let’s build the ark.”</p><p>Ham even gave a rough idea of when the park would open: summer 2016. </p><p>It’s certainly possible that Ham is being honest for once, but it’s pretty <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/has-the-ark-park-run-aground-ky-biblical-theme-park-has-only-weeks-to-raise">tough to trust anything he says </a>when it comes to his pet project. To recap Ham’s ever back-peddling timetable: He said in January 2011 that work would begin that spring; then in May of that year, AiG said groundbreaking would be over the summer; in June, AiG said construction would begin in August; and by early August 2011, AiG still had not broken ground but promised that it would happen “in the next few months.”</p><p>Then in late August 2011, AiG bumped the timetable way back, saying groundbreaking would begin in the spring of 2012.</p><p>So what makes Ham think the “Ark Park” construction can begin in May? We’re not sure, because the math surrounding the project remains fuzzy at best. Back in November, the city of Williamstown, which already gave the overtly religious park a 75 percent property tax break, decided it would sell $62 million in municipal bonds starting in December for AiG affiliates.</p><p>That hasn’t quite worked out. The Louisville<em> Courier-Journal</em> reported in January that while $26.5 million in bonds had been sold, the city needed to sell an additional $29 million by Feb. 6 or else those who already bought bonds would be able to collect on their investment immediately.</p><p>What happened with that? The city won’t say, the <em>Courier-Journal</em> reported this week. We do know, however, that the project is estimated to cost $120 million and the state said it would generate about $119 million in revenue over 10 years, including sales and income taxes. Even if those numbers are accurate (and they’re assuming the park will get hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, which is dubious at best), that means it would take 11 years for the “Ark Park” to turn a profit. Talk about a slow return on an investment.</p><p>Now you can see why we’re not holding our breath for a May ground breaking. We’re also not confident that the “Ark Park” makes any sense financially for the state given AiG’s track record.</p><p>AiG already owns Kentucky’s embarrassing Creation Museum, where kids are taught that the earth is only 6,000 years old and can “learn” what it was like in the olden days when humans rode around on dinosaurs (which, outside of “The Flintstones,” never happened).</p><p>AiG claims as many as two million people will visit the park in its first year. That seems unlikely. We know that the Creation Museum, which is only seven years old, has already experienced attendance problems. The number of people who visit each year has declined since it opened, peaking at 404,000 in 2007 and falling to 254,074 for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2012.</p><p>In August, Ham said the museum would add some secular attractions, <a href="https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/zip-line-evangelism-creation-museum-opens-non-religious-exhibits-to-expand">such as zip lines</a>, in order to attract a wider audience. That’s fine and well for the museum, but what does that say about the ability of a religious attraction to draw visitors and make money?</p><p>The “Ark Park’s” problems are real, from both a fiscal standpoint and a church-state perspective. The negative press Ham has gotten isn’t just some witch hunt, but that’s not how he sees it. Ham, who claims that “God has burdened AiG to rebuild a full-size Noah’s Ark,” once again went out of his way to bash the press. In his announcement that construction would begin on the park in May, he denounced reporters and “atheist bloggers” for supposed “distortions” about the project.</p><p>Just to be clear: Ham is within his rights to build a fundamentalist theme park. What concerns us is that Kentucky seems determined to prop up the project at every turn despite its obvious sectarian overtones and growing evidence that it will never pan out. And even if the “Ark Park” one day gets afloat, what kind of jobs will it bring? Seems like mostly seasonal work that pays low wages and offers no benefits. That is hardly worth massive tax breaks.</p><p>Kentucky lawmakers are wasting their time on this project. They’d best pull the plug immediately, or they’re going down with Ham’s ship.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-government-subsidies-religious-institutions-not-including-schools">Other Government Subsidies of Religious Institutions</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-encounter">Ark Encounter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/answers-genesis">Answers in Genesis</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ken-ham">Ken Ham</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/creation-museum">Creation Museum</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ark-park">Ark Park</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/unrated-municipal-bond">unrated municipal bond</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/kentucky">Kentucky</a></span></div></div>Fri, 28 Feb 2014 17:20:13 +0000Simon Brown9688 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/ark-park-back-afloat-creationist-groups-says-ground-will-be-broken-on#comments